Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

US jobless claims fall again as labor market continues to flash strength

Fewer Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week as the labor market continues to show fortitude in the face of higher interest rates

Matt Ott
Thursday 20 July 2023 13:39 BST
Unemployment Benefits
Unemployment Benefits (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Fewer Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week with the labor market continuing to cruise along despite higher interest rates intended to cool hiring.

U.S. applications for jobless claims fell by 9,000 to 228,000 for the week ending July 15, from 237,000 previous week, the Labor Department reported Thursday.

The four-week moving average of claims, which evens out some of the weekly volatility, fell by 9,250 to 237,500.

Jobless claim applications are viewed as reflective of the number of layoffs in a given week.

Overall, 1.75 million people were collecting unemployment benefits the week that ended July 8, about 33,000 more than the previous week.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in